Draw.io is an online diagramming tool and flowchart creator, no registration required. Use the site's templates to begin your charts, or begin with a blank workspace to create your own. Drag and drop shapes, use tools to add color and text, and upload your images. When finished, save directly to Google Drive, your computer, or OneDrive.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the "ease" of this fabulous site! Have your class create organizers together, such as in a brainstorming session on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Assign students to "map" out a chapter or story. Assign groups to create study guides using this tool. Use this site for literature activities, research projects, social studies, or science topics. Use this site to create family trees or food pyramids in family and consumer science. Have students collaborate (online) to create group mind maps or review charts before tests on a given subject. Have students organize any concepts you study. They can color code concepts to show what they understand, wonder, and question. Have students map out a story, plot line, or plan for the future. Students can also map out a step-by-step process (such as a life cycle or how to solve an equation).

Draw.Chat is a free, collaborative online whiteboard tool that doesn't require registration. Use the site's tools to upload images and files from your computer, draw and type onto the workspace, and share discussions via chat. Another handy feature includes a draw-on map. Share any location to begin an online session with a map of the area already in the background. Allow access from your computer to include audio or video discussions. Draw.Chat also offers multiple whiteboard pages for use during sessions allowing for flexibility in sharing different materials. Invite users by sharing the link to your whiteboard, email, or QR code. When finished, save your session as a sketch file. Even without registration, users can access previous work for one month.

In the Classroom

Allow students to create collaborative drawings as responses to literature. They can map out the plot or themes, add labels, create character studies, and more. Share the finished products on an interactive whiteboard, projector, or your class website. Have a group of students create a drawing so that another group can use it as a writing prompt. Use a board as a brainstorming or sketching space as groups (or the class) share ideas for a major project or for solving a real-world problem. Use this site with students in a computer lab (or on laptops) to create a drawing of the setting in a story as it is read aloud. As an assessment idea, have students draw out a simple cartoon with stick figures to explain a more complex process such as how democracy works. If you are lucky enough to teach in a BYOD setting, use Draw.Chat to demonstrate and illustrate any concept while students use the chat and drawing tools to interact in real time. If you are studying weather, have students diagram the layers of the atmosphere and what happens during a thunderstorm, for example. Introduce this tool to students who are working on group projects. Alternatively, have students use this to work as partners or as a small team to complete complex math problems or equations. Give students a problem by typing it on their board. Take advantage of the map feature to share and annotate landforms, historic places, or locations in novels.

Notetaker is an interactive tool for organizing information for reading and writing projects. Open the interactive to begin by adding your name and title of your project. Choose from three different options for the outline style. The tutorial provides information on using and personalizing the outline including adding sections, drag and drop to move boxes, and how to delete portions of the outline. This interactive also includes a preview option to view the outline before sharing. Click finish to print your work or copy and paste your outline from the preview into a word document.

In the Classroom

Notetaker is a fantastic tool for teaching students how to outline and also for furthering knowledge of those familiar with outlines. Take advantage of this free interactive and the link to lessons that include this interactive to supplement your current teaching materials. Share Notetaker on your interactive whiteboard to demonstrate how to build and add content to an outline. Create outlines together as a class to summarize reading materials, information about cultures around the world, or steps taken during science experiments. Include Notetaker with your other links for student resources on your class webpage and classroom computers. Ask students to print outlines and include with any writing project, or have students copy their outline onto a Google document to accompany their project.

Easily create and share photo collages with this tool, no registration required. Add or drag images from your computer onto the workspace. Move and size pictures as you wish or use the Auto Collage feature to place images, or select from templates to arrange automatically. Other features include a collage drop-down box to set your background using colors, gradients, your pictures, or images from PhotoCollage's library or UnSplash reviewed here. When finished, choose from several different formats to save your collage or share directly to social media sites using links provided.

In the Classroom

Use this tool to create pages of class memories for the end of the year and create yearbook type effects easily. Since you can create and customize the shapes, this would be a great tool to represent a theme for any story, novel, or unit of study. Extend the use of your collages by including them on class pages created using a site like Carrd, reviewed here, or in a multimedia presentation created using Adobe Spark for Education, reviewed here. When learning about the features of states or countries, create a collage then use Story Maps, reviewed here, to create a virtual field trip with your pictures.

Create impressive video presentations using your images and videos with Typito. Create and verify your account through email to begin. Use the site's dashboard to upload your images and video, add text, choose templates and layouts, and add music to personalize your work. Be sure to share the provided credits under CC Licenses for music and images used from the site. When finished, publish your video. After your video is processed, use the links to download, publish to YouTube, or share on social media platforms. Create up to 4 full HD videos with the free plan.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use this tool easily in your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) classroom since all students will be able to access it for free, no matter what device they have. You will need the basic understanding of how to upload pictures, videos, and other media, especially if you are adding personalized content. Use stock images and media available through the site if you prefer. If adding personal pictures and video, the program allows searching through files. Add music from the site bank or from personal music sources providing credit when required. Use Typito to make commercials, science fair previews, and animated shorts in any content area. Have students make "advertisements" for an organism or a literary character. Make a travel commercial for a country you are studying or for cultural sites in a world language class. Be sure to share the presentations with your projector or interactive whiteboard.

Crello is a visual editor for creating social media images, banners, animated designs, and more. Choose from Crello's extensive library of templates and photos, or use your own. Select the type of media to create to begin a project, open your workspace, and personalize different features. Check out the How to Guide in the lower left corner of the page. Create an account using email to download and share finished projects.

In the Classroom

Share Crello with students as a tool for creating posters, infographics, and other visual media for any project. Begin by displaying this site on your interactive whiteboard and demonstrating how to use the different features and discussing how to find the free materials available. Have students create a screencast using Free Screen Recorder Online, reviewed here, to demonstrate how to use the different features of Crello and include their screencasts on your class website for student use at home and at school. Instead of a book report, have students create a simple webpage (use WebNode, reviewed here,) and include a banner or poster created using Crello to share their ideas. Ask students to use this site to create an infographic sharing nutrition facts, events in world history, or any other information learned in class.

StickK offers tools for achieving goals through the use of a Commitment Contract defining the goal, stating what it takes to achieve the goal, and involving others to maintain motivation to accomplish the goal. Begin by choosing a goal from the drop-down box and create your account. Follow the steps to create your Commitment Contract including specific goals and a timeline. Options include adding financial commitments to charities or others if goals aren't met and adding a referee to verify progress. Once you complete the contract, use StickK to track your journey through photos and an online journal.

In the Classroom

Share StickK with students as a motivation to help achieve individual or classroom goals. With younger students use these ideas to set goals for long-term projects. Add deadlines to your calendars to monitor progress along the way. Use Edublog, reviewed here, or another blogging tool to share successes and failures along the way. Upon completion of the stated goal or project, have students create a multimedia presentation using UtellStory, reviewed here, to share their journey and completed work. UtellStory allows adding narration and text to a picture. Resource teachers could use StickK with their students for goal setting and checking in to see accomplished steps towards achieving their goal.

AutoDraw matches your online doodles with professional drawings using any device. Begin a picture, and as you add to the image, AutoDraw's algorithms offer possible matches for your attempt. Click on any of the matching images to replace your doodle with a completed drawing. Use the site's tools to add text, change outline and fill colors, and add shapes. When finished, download your creation as a PNG file to your device. Share your drawing using social media links or URL.

In the Classroom

AutoDraw is an excellent tool for artists and non-artists. Use this site to quickly draw professional looking images for any number of classroom purposes. Create images to accompany presentations on an interactive whiteboard (or projector) or for use on your class website. Ask students to create drawings when retelling stories or creating math problems. Use with students who have any disability as an aid for conveying information through pictures. When teaching ESL/ELL and world languages, use AutoDraw to create images to replace words in texts. Have students create and personalize their images to include with multimedia presentations.

Clipchamp provides a variety of free tools for creating and editing video. The free services include a video editor, video conversion, and webcam recorder. Create your account to begin a project. Follow the prompts to upload your media files. Use tools within Clipchamp Create to clip videos, change backgrounds, and edit your video. Choose Clipchamp Utilities to upload and convert videos to several different formats for social media use, edit or compress files. Clipchamp Utilities also provides resources for recording directly from your webcam.

In the Classroom

Use Clipchamp to create and edit videos for any multimedia projects. Upload images from student projects or field trips to create a video to share on your webpage. Convert your videos into different formats to share easily on social media sites. Ask students to use Clipchamp to create explainer videos in any subject. Include student-created videos in online presentations using a tool like Adobe Spark for Education, reviewed here.

Bing Fun offers a selection of web-based mini games in a variety of formats like puzzles and trivia quizzes. Scroll down the page to choose from the available options including quizzes on current news and geography. Most quizzes offer several options for level of difficulty, the current news quiz allows users to select quizzes for several different weeks.

In the Classroom

Include Bing Fun as a link on your classroom computers and share the link on your class webpage. Have students try their skill on Sudoku and other logic puzzles to increase problem solving skills. Use the current news questions as a starting point for discussions in social studies classes. Ask students to choose one of the questions as a starting point for digging deeper into the topic. Have students share weekly podcasts discussing current topics and background information. Radionomy, reviewed here provides free podcasting tools.

Immersive Reader is a free Microsoft Learning Tool available for use with several Microsoft products including OneNote, Word, Outlook, and Edge. Immersive Reader dictates text and offers several options for personalization. Use the options to adjust the playback speed, highlight text during the audio reading, and adjust text size and spacing. Click on any word in your reading material to listen to the pronunciation. Additional options allow users to view words divided into syllables, use labels to color-code words by parts of speech, and increase the spacing between lines and letters. Use the line focus feature to highlight only small portions of text. Turn on the dictionary option to select words and view drawings representing the meanings.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the many features included with Immersive Reader for any classroom use. You may need to discuss downloading this product with your school's IT department; however, it is well worth the effort. This product is especially helpful for ESL/ELL students and students needing additional help with reading. Use the language options for students to hear and view text in their native language. Use Immersive Reader to help students with Dyslexia to decode and focus on the text by using the options included. Upload classroom materials for students to use for help in understanding difficult text.

Design Wizard is an online photo editor app. Create an account using email or login with a Facebook or Google account and verify with a link sent to your email. Choose the link to create a new design to access tools on the dashboard. Choose from thousands of templates and images to create designs for social media, cards, posters, book covers, and much more. When finished, use links to download or share. Note: a great deal of the preloaded content is not free; however, Design Wizard allows users to upload their own images to edit and share.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the many features included with Design Wizard to upload and edit images. Have students use their images to create book covers instead of assigning a traditional book report. As students learn about advertiser tactics, use the ad template and have students create truthful advertisements for products. Create flyers to invite parents to school programs. Ask students to create a flyer that might have been used to invite others to a historical event. The possibilities are as endless as you and your students' imaginations.

Engage in digital storytelling using the many features included in Color, Draw & Paint. Choose from the included tools to spray paint, draw, add stickers, and more. Be sure to watch the tutorial for a complete overview of the features. When finished, save as a PNG file to your computer or print.

In the Classroom

Share how to use this site on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector then allow students to explore on their own. Have students create drawings to demonstrate math problems, share science experiments, or draw scenes from a story. Include students' drawings in a digital portfolio like Seesaw, reviewed here. Seesaw offers tools for uploading images and creating an audio recording to share their reflections upon their work.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from June 2018, opens in Adobe Connect. Looking for new tech tools to use? Go to the Cutting Edge with TeachersFirst! Discover tools you and your students can use to create images, timelines, whiteboards, mind maps, and more. Learn how this collection is categorized so you can explore the Edge on your own. Find inspiration and timesaving tools in this fast-paced session while learning classroom applications for these tools. Participants will: 1. Explore the Edge categories and tools available at TeachersFirst; 2. Prepare to plan and implement a student-centered, curriculum-related use of the resource(s) of choice as part of an upcoming teaching unit; and 3. Plan how to use one of the Edge tools for digital storytelling, communication, or creating study tools for your classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This collection of reviewed resources includes tools for creating graphic organizers and many suggestions for ways to use them in teaching almost any subject or grade. Be sure to read the "In the Classroom" suggestions for examples of ways to use graphic organizers as part of a lesson or unit.

In the Classroom

Whether you call them concept maps, mind maps, KWLs, or graphic organizers, these visual diagrams show relationships between concepts and provide a powerful tool for learning and connecting new ideas. Use graphic organizers to help your visual learners build reading comprehension. Find something for all grade levels in this collection.

This collection of reviewed tools and resources from TeachersFirst promotes vocabulary development and skills for students to improve and master daily vocabulary, subject matter terms, speech/language vocabulary, and ESL/ELL language.

In the Classroom

Browse this collection when you have students who seem to need extra vocabulary reinforcement or choose one or two tools to use repeatedly each time you introduce new terms. Share specific links or the entire collection for students to find "what works" to help them master vocabulary before the test. Mark this collection in your favorites to have differentiation strategies at your fingertips.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session from May 2018, opens in Adobe Connect. Are you looking for ways to make your formative and summative assessments more effective? Join us to learn how to use Office 365 tools, including Forms, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Sway, to create authentic assessments throughout your units. Whether it's formative or summative assessment, finding ways to effectively measure students' understanding is crucial to ensure student progress and future success. In this session, we will explore how you can use Office and Windows products to create better formative and summative assessments that reliably measure student learning, promote critical thinking, and help students develop real-world skills. Participants will: 1. Explore the meaning of the term "authentic assessment"; 2. Evaluate several formats of assessment for their usefulness to assess student learning; and 3. Identify a variety of assessment methods and plan for their use in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

Find crafts, activities, and printables for kids at Woo! Search for materials by holiday, age group, or by using the keyword search bar. Resources just for teachers include lesson plans, templates, and poetry starters. Be sure to check out the recipe section for snack ideas and kid-friendly meal suggestions. This site does include some distracting advertisements.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use Woo! as a starting point for lesson ideas and activities, then go beyond worksheets to challenge your students. Ask your students to create their own templates and review materials using Google Documents. Incorporate game-play into your lessons using Bamboozle, reviewed here. Baamboozle is a quick and easy game creation tool that creates multiple types of games for two teams. Incorporate questions into videos using Playposit, reviewed here. Students and teachers can comment and add responses directly into this video resource.

Do you need help finding interesting adjectives? Describing Words is your answer. Enter any noun into the search box to create a list of possible adjectives (and phrases!) to include. Click any word in the list to view a definition and select additional related words. Sort your list by usage frequency or by uniqueness. Other links provide more resources for related words to the one used initially.

In the Classroom

Include a link to Describing Words on classroom computers for student use with any writing projects. Have students create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here, to share alternatives to overused adjectives. Have students share the results of their search on Describing Words using Thinglink, reviewed here, to annotate an image.

Explore educational videos providing help with Google products on this YouTube Channel. The site provides playlists offering support for Chromebooks, protecting and using Google accounts, using Gmail and Drive, and much more. Choose individual videos or select playlists by topic to find up to date help in using Google tools. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view them at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as ClipGrab, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site on classroom computers for easy reference when working with Google products. Have students create their own support videos using a tool like Powtoon, reviewed here, or My Simpleshow, reviewed here, for any technology issues that arise in your classroom. Remember, you can take screenshots (Printscrn button on Windows or Command+Shift+4 on Mac), and include those in a video. You will need to convert the screenshot to a JPG. This can be done easily and quickly using CloudConvert, reviewed here. Share the students created videos using a tool such as SchoolTube, reviewed here.